Resilience and Revolution at the Heart of The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024)

Staff Writer Tan Yan An reviews The Seed of the Sacred Fig, nominated for Best International Feature at 97th Academy Awards. Following the tense war in Iran and the uprising, an internal family conflict boils over — where blind faith is privileged over blood ties and true justice.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (2024) is a political drama written, co-produced, and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. The film has garnered critical acclaim, earning 23 wins and 49 nominations, including the Jury Special Prize at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.

The film follows Iman (Missagh Zareh), a Tehran Revolutionary Court judge, and his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), as they struggle to maintain their household amid rising political unrest in Iran. Their home becomes a microcosm of the nation's ideological divide, with traditional values clashing against the progressive ideals embodied by their daughters — the older, Reszvan (Mahsa Rostami), and the younger, Sana (Setareh Maleki).

The film’s title hints at its focus on resilience and hope. The fig tree can regenerate from seeds scattered by animals or even itself — symbolising both regrowth and renewal. This imagery mirrors the struggle of Iranian women, who, despite the severe punishment they face, continue to remove their veils in defiance, a powerful act of resistance that became emblematic during the 2022-2023 Mahsa Amini protests. Their actions embody not only resistance to the oppressive theocracy but also hope for societal transformation against authoritarian rule in Iran.

The film plays its hand through inversions and dilemmas. Najmeh must confront her faith in both her husband, Iman, and the state, while their daughters grapple with the dissonance between what they see on television and the harsh reality in the streets and on social media.

Iman finds himself caught between his role as an enforcer of the system and his diminishing connection to his family as husband and father. His promotion introduces new ethical dilemmas that test his loyalty and beliefs. The service gun he receives, ostensibly for family protection, becomes a potent symbol of state-sanctioned violence and his internal moral crisis.

His name, Iman, meaning ‘faith’, becomes a haunting representation of his dual allegiances — to his personal beliefs and the oppressive regime he serves. The film critiques patriarchal and theocratic systems that demand blind obedience, prompting viewers to reflect on the cost of conformity.

Yet, the actresses are not to be outdone. The daughters embody a symbol of rebellion even in their confines of the domestic space. Soheila Golestani delivers a compelling performance as Najmeh, a devoted wife who grapples with her husband's secrecy and emotional distance. As a strong and placating mother, she balances the increasingly restless defiance of her daughters, pushing back not only against their father but against the authority that governs their lives. At the same time, she is also driven to her wits’ end, along with Reszvan and Sana’s growing defiance within the suffocating domestic space, questioning the authority that governs their lives.

Shot entirely in secret, the film weaves personal stories with unfiltered glimpses of nationwide turmoil. The juxtaposition of intimate family drama and sweeping political unrest heightens the film's oppressive atmosphere, reflecting the director’s own experiences of constant surveillance and scrutiny within his homeland.

In a chilling parallel, he was sentenced to eight years in prison by Iranian authorities ahead of the film’s premiere. He chose to undertake a harrowing journey to continue to deliver his ideas and hopes for change on film.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is not just a political drama; it is a testament to resistance and the enduring fight for freedom.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig premieres exclusively at The Projector on 29 January 2025.